You’ve broken up the driveway, or the old shed slab is finally coming out, and now there’s a heap of grey rubble on the lawn. So can concrete be recycled, or does it all end up in landfill? It can be recycled. Old concrete is crushed and reused as aggregate (the stone and gravel part of a concrete mix), and the industry does this routinely.
This guide covers what recyclers look for, what the rubble turns into, how to sort it, and how to get it off a property in Southern and Bayside Melbourne. It also shows a simple way to estimate how heavy your pile is, which is where most people get caught out.
Can concrete be recycled? The short answer and how it works
Sika, a construction materials manufacturer, says concrete can be recycled and that the old material can be reused as aggregate in new concrete. Rubble from demolished structures is recovered, crushed and put back into new projects.
The process usually runs like this:
- Recover. The slab, footing or wall is broken out and the rubble collected.
- Sort. Contaminants such as timber, plastic and general rubbish are pulled out.
- Crush. The rubble is broken into smaller, more even pieces.
- Screen. The crushed material is separated by size.
- Reuse. The result goes into new products or construction work.
Why aggregate matters
Aggregate makes up most of a concrete mix. Sika notes that using crushed rubble in its place saves natural resources. A 2013 peer reviewed study by Wagih and colleagues found that construction and demolition rubble could be turned into recycled aggregate for making new concrete.
That doesn’t mean every pile of rubble ends up back in a new slab. It means the pathway exists and is well understood.
Not every load is accepted
Each recycler sets its own quality and contamination rules. Contamination simply means anything in the load that isn’t concrete, such as timber, plastic or soil. A clean, sorted load is far more likely to be reused than a mixed one. That’s why preparation matters so much, and we cover it further down.
What counts as clean concrete (and what does not)
Recyclers generally describe clean concrete as material from demolition or from concrete production. That includes leftover slurry, blocks and other concrete waste. Brick and rock rubble often arrive at recyclers in the same loads, so keep them apart from your general rubbish.
The table below is a rough guide. The wording is cautious on purpose, because the final call belongs to the recycler.
Material
Usually suitable for recycling?
Why it matters
Plain slab or footing
Often
One material, so it’s the easiest to process
Concrete blocks
Often
Similar to slab rubble, but check with the recycler
Brick and rock rubble
Often, alongside slab rubble
Commonly received together as demolition rubble
Slab with exposed reo bar
Check with the recycler
Steel has to be separated from the crushed material
Rubble mixed with soil, timber or plastic
Less likely
Contamination can get a load refused or treated differently
Painted or coated surfaces
Check with the recycler
Coatings may affect how the material can be processed
Reo bar is the steel reinforcing rod set inside many slabs and footings. If you can see it poking out, mention it when you book.
What can never go in the bin
Some items are off limits whatever the job. We don’t accept liquids, paint tins, chemicals, asbestos, polystyrene, gas bottles, food waste or oil. This catches people out on renovations, where half used paint and sealer tins often end up right beside the rubble.
Older cement sheeting and some cement products can contain asbestos. If you aren’t sure what you’ve got, get it assessed before you book. Please don’t break it up first.
Before you book, tell us what’s in the pile and ask us to confirm that it suits the bin you’re after. Concrete acceptance can depend on the load, so we’d rather check it with you up front than sort it out on the day.
What recycled concrete becomes
The Sustainability Victoria factsheet on waste concrete and rubble says that, after suitable processing, the material can be reused as clean fill or landfill capping. It can also be recycled into new products such as road materials.
End use
What it means
Aggregate in new mixes
Crushed, screened pieces replace some natural stone
Road base and road materials
A compacted layer that sits under roads and paving
Clean fill
Bulk material used to level or build up ground
Landfill capping
A cover layer placed over a landfill
The word “suitable” in that factsheet matters. Processing and quality conditions apply. The same rubble can end up with different uses depending on how clean it is and how it has been treated.
If the terms are new to you, here’s a simple way to think about them. Aggregate is graded pieces that go into a mix. Base is a compacted layer under a hard surface. Fill is bulk material used to raise or level ground.
Crushing on site or sending rubble to a recycler
The Concrete Centre describes two routes at the end of a structure’s life. The rubble can be crushed on site and reused in a new development on the same site. Or it can be transported to a local recycling centre for processing.
On site crushing suits large demolition projects that have the space and a use for the material. For a driveway, patio or shed slab it rarely makes sense, so removal is the practical path.
Here’s an example to picture, not a real customer story. A homeowner in Cheltenham breaks up an old driveway before a landscaping job. They end up with slab pieces, a few bricks from an old edging and some soil from underneath. Sorting those into three piles first makes everything easier. A bin with a walk in door also lets them wheel the heavy pieces straight in, instead of lifting each one over the side.
If you’re in that part of Melbourne, our Cheltenham service area page shows what we cover locally. Our website states that loads are taken to our own recycling station. Because of that, what you tell us at booking matters. A clear description of the load helps us match it to the right bin and handle it properly at the other end. If your job also involves excavated soil, our soil removal guide explains how to handle it.
How heavy is your rubble? A quick way to estimate
Concrete is dense, and that is the main reason people pick the wrong bin. You can get a rough weight with a tape measure and a calculator.
Multiply the length, width and thickness of the slab, all in metres. That gives you cubic metres. As a general rule of thumb, concrete weighs about 2.4 tonnes per cubic metre. This is a widely used industry figure, not a Crane Bins policy.
Here’s a worked example for illustration only. A slab that’s 5m long, 3m wide and 100mm (0.1m) thick is 1.5 cubic metres. At about 2.4 tonnes per cubic metre, that’s roughly 3.6 tonnes of concrete. Even a modest driveway or shed base can be heavy once it’s broken out.
Your own slab may be thicker or thinner, and reinforced slabs vary. Measure it, then give us the numbers when you request a quote. We’ll explain which bin suits the job and how the stated weight allowance applies.
How to prepare concrete rubble for removal
A little preparation saves time and avoids awkward conversations on collection day.
Sort first
Keep slab rubble, brick and rock apart from timber, plastics, general rubbish and green waste. If you’re clearing a backyard, work in piles. Use one for hard rubble, one for garden waste and one for everything else.
Break it up and load low
Break larger pieces down to sizes you can lift safely. Put the heavy pieces in low and flat, then fill the gaps with smaller bits. This keeps the load stable and stops sharp edges poking above the rim.
Wheelbarrow loading suits the bins with walk in doors, which are the 3m to 12m sizes. The 2.5m bin has no door, so every piece has to be lifted over the side.
Choose by weight as well as volume
Dense material like this can push a small bin to its weight limit well before it looks full. Don’t pick a size on looks alone. We offer 7 sizes, from 2.5m to 12m. For reference, the stated dimensions (length x width x height) include:
- 3m bin: 2.3m x 1.6m x 1m, with a walk in door
- 4m bin: 2.4m x 1.6m x 1.2m, with a walk in door
You can see the full range of bin sizes on our homepage. Our site also lists a 2 tonne limit for the 6m, 9m and 12m bins. Tell us what you’re removing when you request a quote, and we’ll explain how that allowance applies to your load.
Check placement and permits
Think about where the bin will sit before it arrives. If it needs to go on a nature strip or the road, check whether a council permit is needed for your situation. Permit fees, where they apply, are in addition to the bin price.
Common mistakes that slow down a clean up
These are the usual snags on rubble jobs:
- Mixing the load. Soil, tiles, timber or rubbish tipped in with the rubble can make a load harder to recycle.
- Underestimating weight. A bin that’s the wrong size for the weight, or too heavy to load safely, causes delays.
- Assuming old sheeting is safe. If there’s any chance it contains asbestos, get advice before you book.
- Booking too short. Demolition jobs often run over. A booking extension is $10 per day, so allow enough time rather than rushing the last pieces in.
One thing that helps with planning: our quoted price is our fixed price. You can also read about the types of jobs and waste we handle before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Can concrete be recycled in Melbourne?
Yes. Rubble is crushed and reused as aggregate, road material or fill, subject to processing and quality conditions, as Sustainability Victoria explains. Reuse depends on the load being sorted and free of contamination. Our website says we take loads to our own recycling station, but we can’t promise every item is kept out of landfill.
Can I put concrete and brick in the same bin?
Recyclers commonly receive concrete, brick and rock together as demolition rubble. Keep that load separate from general rubbish, timber and soil where you can. Tell us what’s in your mix when you book, and ask us to confirm it suits your bin.
Is concrete too heavy for a skip bin?
Weight is usually the limit before volume is. Our site lists a 2 tonne limit for the 6m, 9m and 12m bins, so ask us how it applies to your load when you get a quote.
What can’t go in a bin with concrete?
We don’t accept liquids, paint tins, chemicals, asbestos, polystyrene, gas bottles, food waste or oil. Large tree stumps, mattresses and car or truck tyres are accepted only by arrangement or at extra charge. If old cement sheeting might contain asbestos, get advice first.
Conclusion and next step
Old slabs and footings can be recycled when they’re sorted, clean and processed suitably. Separate the slab, brick and rock, choose a bin by weight as well as size, and keep restricted items well away from the pile.
Crane Bins hires skip bins to homeowners, builders and landscapers across Southern and Bayside Melbourne, and customers rate us 4.7 from 45 Google reviews. If you’re near Mordialloc or Dandenong, our Mordialloc page and Dandenong page show local details. Check the bin sizes, confirm your suburb is in our service area, and request a quote. We’ll help you match the bin to the job.
